Lantern-holder for vehicles.



No. 644,826. Patented Mar. 6, I900 A. R. w. KNIGHT.

LANTE N HOLDER FOR VEHICLES.

(Appliqation filed Sept. 13, 1898.)

(No Model.)

7 Ag A 42:: 1

I i a t} 3 9 E9 rrED STATES PATENT Price.

LANTERN HOLDER Foe VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,826, dated March 6, 1900. Application filed $eptemher 13 1898. Serial No. 690,872. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AARON R. W. KNIGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing in Feasterville, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Lantern-Holders for Vehicles, of which the following-is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide simple and efficient means whereby an ordt nary hand or other lantern may be mounted upon a carriage, wagon, or other vehicle, so as to serve as a substitute for the ordinary carriage-lamp; and this object I attain in the man ner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a hand-lantern with mounting therefor constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a front View, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan or top View of one of the supporting-brackets of the holder, and Fig. 4 is a side View showing a special mode of attachment of the holder.

In the drawings I have illustrated an ordinary form of tubular lantern, in which 1 is the oil-fount, and 2 the tube structure, comprising opposite side tubes communicating at their upper ends with a tube leading upward from the cap which surmounts the globe of the lantern, but it should be understood that my invention is applicable to the mounting of other forms of lantern, the tubular lantern being selected as the preferable one for illustration,

The holder comprises, essentially, a cup 3 for receiving the expanded base of the lantern and a retainer for engaging with and vertically confining the upper portion of the lantern structure. The cup fits snugly to the base of the lantern, which is retained in the cup either by the pressure of the top-retainer or by a special securing device. Thus in the drawings I have shown for the purpose a cross-bar 5, extending over the top of the lamp-fount and bearing upon a rib 6, projecting upwardly therefrom, said bar having by preference a coil 7, whereby it is rendered elastic, and being retained in its locking position by means of a spring-clip 8 or other suitable fastening. By thus providing the top of an ordinary lamp-fount with a projecting edge rib two separate points of bearing for the retaining-bar 5 are provided, and the lantern is more securely held in the holder than it would be if the retaining-bar bore directly upon the top of the fount, for in the latter case inequalities in the top of the fount would interfere with the proper bearing of the bar thereon, whereas when the edge rib is em ployed such inequalities have no effect upon the proper bearing of the bar.

The clamping of the base of the lantern firmly in the cup or equivalent support is much to be preferred to a mere clip for on gaging the base of the lantern, for owing to the constant jarring to which the lantern is subjected when used upon a carriage or wagon the hold of such a clip upon the base of a lantern is insecure and liable to fail at anytime, whereas if the base of the lantern is firmly confined vertically to the cup or support the jarring to which the lantern is subjected in use cannot release it from the holder.

The cup 3 is secured to an arm 9, which has a hub 10, secured by means of a bolt lll and nut 12 to a boss 13, projecting from a bracket 15, which can be secured to the dashboard, side post, or any other available portion of the carriage or wagon upon which it is desired to support the lantern, the bolt 11 being by preference secured to the boss 13 by casting it therein, as shown in Fig. 1.

In the presentinstancc the top-retainer con sists of a spring-arm 4, which has a yolce 16 engaging with the upper portion of the tube structure of the lantern, and thus serving to aid the base-retainer in holding the lantern in proper position both vertically and later ally, the inner end of saidspring-arm being clamped by means of a nut 17 between a washer 18 and a block 19, surrounding the upper threaded portion of a bolt 20, which passes through a boss 21, projecting from a bracket 22, adapted to be secured to a dashboard, post, or other portion of the vehicle in the same manner as the bracket 15, there be-' ing below the boss 21 another nut 23, which engages with the threaded lower portion of the bolt 20, so that by manipulating said nuts 17 and 23 the inner end of the arm 4 can be firmly clamped between the washer 18 and the block 19.

The lower faces of the block 19 and the hub 10 of the arm 9 are serrated, and corresponding serrations are formed in the upper faces of the bosses 13 and 21, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the arms 4 and 9 can be adjusted at any desired angle in respect to the brackets 15 and 22 and securely retained in position after such adjustment. Hence thelantern may be caused to project in any desired direction, thereby exposing the light in different directions.

By the use of blocks 19 of different heights the holder can be adapted for the support of different sizes of lanterns without the necessity of readjustment of the bracket 22 upon the post or other support upon which it is attached.

The lantern-globe has at the back a lens portion 25 and is also provided with a rear rcflector 26, and in order to provide a rear signal when the lantern is swung sidewise, so as to project outside of the post to which the brackets are secured, I cut away that portion of said reflector-plate 26 which is in the rear of the lens 25 and cover the opening thus formed with a sheet 27 of glass or other'transparent material of a color desired for said rear signal, said sheet of transparent material being held in place by a suitable surroundingframe 29.

In some cases I may secure the brackets 15 and 22 to a strip or plate 30, as shown in Fig. 4, said strip or plate having at the back a spring-clip 31, whereby it may be readily applied to or removed from the upper edge of the dashboard or other projecting portion of the vehicle.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A lantern-holder for vehicles, consisting of a cup or base mounted upon a projecting arm and adapted for the reception of the base. of the lantern, in combination with positive means independent of the cup for imparting downward pressure to the lantern, whereby its base is firmly pressed against the bottom of the cup, substantially as specified.

2. A lantern-holder for vehicles, consisting of a cup or base mounted upon a projecting arm and adapted for the reception of the base of the lantern, in combination with a transverse spring-bar having a bearing upon the lantern-base and serving to confine the latter vertically to the cup, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of a lantern having on the top of the fount a projecting edge rib with a cup-like holder adapted for the reception of the-base of the lantern and having a transverse retainer bearing upon said projecting rib on the top of the fount, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of a tubular lantern, with a base constructed for the reception of the base of the lantern, and provided with means for vertically confining the same thereto, and a retainer for engaging with the upper portion of the tube structure of the lantern, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of a lantern, a support therefor, a retainer for engaging with the up per portion of the lantern, a bracket carrying said retainer, means for adjusting said retainer vertically with respect to the bracket, and means for securing the retainer, against vertical movement, to the bracket, substantially as specified.

6. The combination of the bracket having a projecting boss with bolt passing therethrough, a block above said boss, a nut below the same engaging said bolt, and a nut and washer for secu ring aretainer to said block, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my -,nameto this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AARON R. W. KNIGHT. \Vitnesses:

CHAS. H. BANNARD, F. E. BEoHToLD. 

